Fire Chapter 6: Reclaiming Omashu
by Wren Sharpbeak
Summary: Zuko still struggles with his decision to join Aang as the group battles the Fire Nation to liberate Omashu. Meanwhile, Katara has her own demons to face regarding the banished prince.
1. Ch 1 Portents

**Disclaimer: **the characters and places in the following work of fan-fiction are the intellectual property of Nickelodeon and, as such, they reserve the right to remove this story at their sole discretion

**Author's Note: **This narrative represents the sixth 'episode' in my speculative version of the third season of 'Avatar: The Last Airbender', so if you've not yet read the previous five installments, you may wish to visit my profile now and do so, or this tale might not make much sense. A more comprehensive explanation of the intent, format, and focus for my stories can be found in the Author's Note at the end of "Fire Chapter 2: The Battle of Chameleon Bay".

**Personal Note:** This is one of those episodes that, if I were a _real_ writer for the show, would have been handed off to another author. I've been dreading this story ever since I committed myself to doing the whole series because, honestly, I have NO idea what I am going to do with it. Therefore, it is only fair to warn everyone that my personal expectations for this 'episode' are _very_ low, and I only hope that I don't disappoint too many people.

So please, _please_, do me the favor of leaving a review to let me know your thoughts, and to tell me if I am messing this one up or not.

_**At the suggestion of Steamboat Ghost, I've revised the opening chapter to include a 'Previously on Avatar' segment to provide some reminders of preceding scenes which will be important in this chapter. I hope this helps, and I will begin doing this for all 'episodes' from here on out.**_

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* * *

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Previously on Avatar

"The day of the invasion, we readied ourselves for battle. We were prepared to defend our city...to fight for our lives and for our freedom. But before we even had a chance, King Bumi surrendered."

* * *

"Neutral jin is the key to earth bending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike."

"That's why you surrendered, isn't it?"

"Yes, and it's why I can't leave now."

* * *

"We need to send word to the Omashu resistance," How stated, "but I don't trust a pigeon-hawk to carry it; they're too easily intercepted."

"We'll go," said Suki firmly, "The Kyoshi Warriors will deliver the message while you prepare your forces."

* * *

"You're just a banished prince. No home. No allies. Your own father doesn't even want you."

"You're wrong. Once I deliver the Avatar to my father he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne."

"If your father really wanted you home, he'd have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar, but in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."

* * *

"This isn't like you," Katara said almost suspiciously as she crossed the balcony to stand next to him. "I mean, I don't claim to know you that well, but you hardly seem like yourself."

"Myself…" he gave a soft mirthless huff, "How can I be myself? I don't even know who I am anymore," he whispered distantly.

* * *

"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away."

"But I don't feel any shame at all! I'm as proud as ever!"

"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."

* * *

Several dark forms now swirled around the prince, whispering and snarling as they circled, occasionally sweeping right through him, causing him to scream and writhe in pain each time.

"You are weak!" "Worthless coward!" "You don't deserve to live!" "Traitor!"

"Get up and fight!" commanded Ozai's voice from one of the shadow creatures before blasting through the tormented fire bender, who crumpled to the ground.

Zuko struggled to crawling position as a distraught, beleaguered moan escaped his lips, "I won't fight you."

"Dad's going to kill you," sang another shade using Azula's mocking simper.

"You're lying," breathed Zuko without conviction. Then his mother's voice echoed from some deep recess in his mind: everything I've done, I've done to protect you.

"You weren't worth protecting," scathed two more wraiths in unison as they dove through his flesh, "it's your fault she's gone!"

"No..." Zuko rasped with difficulty.

His arms finally gave way and he crashed to the ground, all the energy drained from his body.

**

* * *

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Book 3: Fire

**Chapter 6: Reclaiming Omashu**

Firelight danced on the polished floor as a pair of metal shod boots clipped steadily across the massive chamber, the echo of the sound swallowed by the red velvet curtains lining the walls. As he approached the flaming dais, the man dropped to both knees and kowtowed to his Lord, respectfully averting his eyes from the shadowed face behind the fiery veil.

"You have news," stated Ozai without interest.

"Yes, My Lord," replied the man steadily without moving or even looking up. "The rumor of General Iroh's acquittal in Ba Sing Se has been confirmed. The Earth King now counts him as an ally."

The Fire Lord said nothing, but the wall of flames before him flared slowly for a moment before settling back to an even blaze. The messenger gulped inaudibly before relaying the rest of his news.

"Both he and your son were last spotted fleeing the Eastern Air temple…" he took a deep, anxious breath and finished, "…with the Avatar."

Once again, the flames climbed higher at a menacingly measured pace, and the prone envoy began to sweat from the heat now filling the room. But unlike previously, the firewall did not abate, and it continued to roar ominously as Ozai spoke again.

"Summon the Shuāng Yán," he commanded coldly, "and inform the revered sisters that the Fire Lord would seek their counsel."

The messenger pressed his forehead to the cold, gleaming floor.

"It will be done, My Lord."

* * *

High above the mountains of the southern Earth Kingdom, the Avatar's bison soared sleepily through the warm afternoon and let out a tired moan. Hearing this subtle complaint, Sokka reached forward and rubbed the shaggy arrow on Appa's head.

"Not much further, Big Guy," he promised. Appa groaned in relief.

Katara put the last stitch through the sole of the boot she was mending and, snapping the thread, she smiled with satisfaction at her handiwork. Tugging the shoe back on, she and looked about at the scenery; it was beautiful the way the rugged terrain seemed to reach up and kiss the sky. She sighed contentedly at the romantic thought and leaned back against the saddle, glancing at the others as she did so.

Iroh sat against the back of the saddle flanked by Aang and Toph. The elderly fire bender had been continuing the blind girl's 'tea education' when Aang joined in on the conversation. He was telling them about a method of tea preparation that the Air Nomads often employed using spices and cream.

"I'll have to make you guys some when we get a chance," he was saying.

"If you say so, Twinkle Toes," Toph shrugged, "but I still think it sounds weird."

"Don't be so quick to judge something you haven't tried," chimed in Iroh sagely. "While I admit it sounds unusual, it could be quite tasty." He then stroked his beard thoughtfully, "and considering it hasn't been around in a hundred years, it might prove to be a refreshing….and profitable flavor," he grinned slyly.

"Only if Aang opens a tea shop," Toph quipped, and then giggled as she added in sudden epiphany, "he could call it 'Twinkle Teas'!"

At this Iroh simply howled with mirth, and Aang rolled back a bit as he laughed out loud.

"Good one, Toph!"

Katara couldn't help but grin. It was obvious that they were thoroughly enjoying themselves, especially Toph. She had never seen the sarcastic and practical earth bender so pleasantly relaxed before, and watching the three of them giggle and joke like little kids was…well it was _adorable_.

Still chuckling slightly at her friends, Katara's gaze then fell on Zuko; sitting upright with his legs folded beneath him and his hands resting in his lap. Her smile fell as she regarded him thoughtfully.

Despite his humble clothing and unkempt, windblown hair, he looked almost regal, almost serene. But the effect was marred by the expression on his face. It wavered between moments of tranquility and turmoil, the same as it had for the last few days, every time he tried to meditate. He hadn't been sleeping well either, as evidenced by the dark circles under his eyes, and more than once she had noticed him snap awake when dozing on Appa's back. Something was troubling him deeply, and this realization suddenly made her feel very uneasy.

As much as she wanted to trust him for Aang's sake, she couldn't seem to get past the knot that formed in her stomach whenever she saw, heard, or even thought about Zuko. She didn't hate him, and she really _had_ forgiven him for his actions in Ba Sing Se, but as horrible as she felt about the things he had been through, and what he must be going through now, nothing seemed to quell the tightness in her chest that his presence seemed to cause.

This sensation might have made sense if he were as surly, arrogant, or uncooperative as she had _expected_ him to be. But somehow, the fact that he was actually helpful, polite, and gave every indication that he was truly concerned about the welfare of the group only seemed to irritate her rather than set her at ease. And that, in turn, made her feel guilty.

She watched as he finally sighed in frustration and abandoned his attempt to meditate. Momo, who had also been looking at Zuko with interest, put a tiny paw on the boy's knee and purred consolingly. The banished prince gazed down at the little lemur, reaching a hand out to stroke the creatures' ears even as he tucked a wistful half-grin into the corner of his mouth. Momo responded by hopping up into his lap for a proper petting, which Zuko readily obliged.

It was moments like this that made Katara wonder if the boy now traveling with them really was the same person who had chased them relentlessly across the world only a few months ago. Her attitude about him softened in spite of herself, and when Zuko caught her staring at him, she offered a small smile. But he merely looked away penitently, as though she had scolded him instead.

Once again, the raw tangle in her chest writhed and twitched, and suddenly the landscape below that had appeared so amorous before, now seemed to rise like jagged teeth trying to tear the shimmering clouds down from the heavens.

* * *

Black columns of smoke rolled up from the smelting fires dotting the tiered mountaintop town, and the rhythmic clang of metal rebounded off iron-plated walls. Fire Nation settlers walked along the crowded lanes, going about their daily lives in the recently 'colonized' city of New Ozai.

Deep in the heart of the stony fortress, beneath the bustling streets and ensconced in a labyrinth of metal corridors, King Bumi waited…and listened.

Every day he eavesdropped on the bored conversations of the guards stationed outside his cell. Sometimes he heckled them, just to lighten the topic of conversation (after all, talk of weapon sharpening and boot shining got so _old_ after a while), but they never seemed to enjoy his jokes as much as he did.

Today, however, he was unusually quiet. Something was changing, a different pulse was moving through the earth that even the metal floor and walls that surrounded him could not diminish. Change was coming, and he needed to know what it was.

As the shift rotated and two new guards came to relieve the others of their post, Bumi strained to hear the snippets of their conversation.

* * *

"Watcha reading?" asked the first guard.

"Meh, just the latest newsletter…more army propaganda," the second man replied with a shrug.

"Sounds riveting," the other man drawled.

"Actually," said the second with sudden surprise, "this one has something _interesting_ in it."

"Oh, do tell," deadpanned the first.

"No seriously," he insisted, "according to this, the Dragon of the West has joined forces with the Earth King…" he paused for dramatic effect, "and the _Avatar_."

"You're joking."

"Read it yourself," he said, and handed the page to his companion.

"Ultimate act of treason…considered a grave threat to the Crown…" he read bits and pieces aloud, "a dangerous traitor to be approached with extreme caution," his hand, along with the leaflet, dropped to his side as he threw the other man an incredulous look.

"He's not the only one," the second guard added, "Apparently Prince Zuko is also wanted for treason."

"I thought he was already banished."

"He was, three years ago," the man confirmed, "but I guess he got tired of waiting to be allowed to return home and switched sides."

"What do you think will happen?" asked the first guard, sounding somewhat concerned.

"Who cares?" the other responded, "It's not like it means anything…just a bunch of juicy gossip being blown out of proportion to make the Fire Lord look good."

"How would Lord Ozai's own brother and son turning traitor make him look 'good'?" scoffed the first.

"Beats me," shrugged the second, "but the press sure seems to be making a big deal out of it. Maybe we're supposed to feel sorry for the Fire Lord."

At this, the other man laughed heartily. "Yeah, that's a good one."

* * *

In the darkness of his cell, King Bumi smiled. Yes, change was definitely on the wind, and when it blew over Omashu, he would be ready. The wait would soon be over. 


	2. Ch 2 Discord

"Well, this is the place," Sokka said uncertainly, peering at his map and then looking around, "but there's no one here."

They had landed in a deep ravine, surrounded on all sides by high cliff walls, with several a small passes leading out from a main clearing, all but one of which dead-ended into the mountains. The other trail lead down to a swift stream; also nestled deep in the canyon.

Toph was sprawled on the ground, relishing the feel of the earth; Iroh was digging through his bag looking for his tea, while Zuko waited patiently to see if this was where they intended to rest for the night.

"Surely you didn't expect someone to be sitting here waiting for us?" asked Katara sensibly.

As Sokka's face fell somewhat, she realized that he had indeed been hoping someone, a particular someone, would be there.

"No," he admitted, "but I sort of hoped…" Sokka's voice trailed off for a moment, then he gushed anxiously, "What if she never made it? Maybe we should scout around and-"

"We can't," Aang interjected as he hopped down from Appa. "We're too close to Omashu to go wandering off. The only way into this canyon is by flight or earth bending. We need to stay where we won't be seen."

"And I'm sure Suki is fine," Katara added. "Besides, we're more than a day early. They probably don't even know to look for us yet."

"You're right," Sokka agreed dolefully.

"Come on," Katara prompted, patting him gently on the shoulder, "let's get camp set up."

Assured this was going to be their campsite, Zuko slid down Appa's side and went off in search of wood. Katara noticed this out of the corner of her eye, and even though she was used to him going off as soon as they landed, she still could not repress her worried frown.

* * *

A short while later, Aang and Iroh were in one of the side ravines working on the Avatar's fire bending lessons, mostly breathing and meditating. Meanwhile, the others were almost done setting up camp. Katara was getting food prepared, Sokka was unloading the sleeping bags, and Toph had just finished making a semi-circle of rock tents around the already lit campfire.

"Okay, shelters are up!" she declared. "And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make sure Twinkle Toes isn't too singed to earth bend."

"Thanks, Toph," Katara called distractedly. She was engaged in searching the area around the fire, apparently looking for something she had misplaced.

"Sokka, have you seen the kettle?" she asked. "I could have sworn I had it out…"

At that moment, Zuko came walking back into camp with the cooking pot, filled with water, and set it down next to her.

There was an awkward silence as Katara merely stared at the kettle. Sokka watched covertly as the prince seemed to wait a second before going over to the saddle and pulling his swords out of one of the bags. Without a word, Zuko left the camp and headed back to the stream. When he was gone, Sokka turned to Katara with a disapproving scowl.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to be a little nicer to him," Sokka admonished.

"What did I say?" asked Katara, looking up at her brother with a guiltless confusion.

"Nothing," he scolded, "In fact, you haven't said a single word to him since we left Bìmíng _three days ago_. He always collects the firewood, starts the fire, and today he even fetched the water, yet you can't even manage a 'thank you."

"I was…busy," she said lamely.

"You weren't too busy to thank Toph," he pointed out.

Katara opened her mouth to make a retort, and then closed it when she realized he had a point. She hadn't so much as acknowledged Zuko in days, and even she had no idea why. Looking down at the water, she sighed.

"I suppose I haven't been very polite, have I?" she said quietly.

"That would be something of an understatement," he scoffed.

She nodded glumly. "I'll go talk to him as soon as I get the food started."

* * *

Katara found Zuko near the water, practicing his fire bending. Not wanting to disturb or interrupt him, she instead simply stood silently and watched. She couldn't help but be impressed by the originality he displayed. It seemed to be a weird mix of styles, and it took her a moment to realize that he was incorporating the techniques that she and the others used with their bending into his own.

She recognized Toph's rock-wall defense, except his was made of fire that rose up from the ground near his feet, and she nearly gasped as he pushed the entire barrier forward a few yards before it dissipated. Next, he formed a flaming sphere in his hands, using almost exactly the same motions that Aang did when creating a ball of air for his scooter. This too Zuko shot out in front of him, blasting it across the small stream and into the side of the canyon.

Finally, two fiery dagger blades sprung at odd angles from both ends of his fisted right hand and he flung the searing weapon out in an arc, releasing it into the air. It spun out over the water, and with a shift of his weight and a pull of his arm, it started circling back toward him…only to flicker out before it could return. Zuko dropped his stance and let out a short sigh of disappointment.

"Wow," breathed Katara in awe, "that was…really impressive."

Zuko turned, clearly startled; he had been unaware of her presence. Looking away, he frowned slightly.

"It still needs work," mumbled the prince vaguely.

"Maybe it would help if you tried it out on an opponent?" she asked with a shrug. "Tell you what. How about a sparring match?" she suggested brightly, "you and me."

Zuko flashed an uncertain glance at her before reaching down to pick his tunic up from the ground.

"I'd rather not," he replied uncomfortably.

"Come on," she challenged good-naturedly, drawing up some water from the stream and settling into a stance, "show me what you've got."

"I said _no,_" he reiterated evenly, not bothering to look at her.

As he continued to gather his things, Katara's resolve to be kind and cooperative began to disintegrate, and indignant rage boiled up in its place. The water dropped to the ground, her focus lost in the heat of her frustration. Here she was, trying to be friendly and make a show of trust, and he was throwing it back in her face.

"Oh, so it's perfectly fine to fight me when you're trying to capture Aang," she fumed, "but if we're not trying to _kill_ each other, there's no _fun_ in it?"

He whirled on her so suddenly that she instinctively took a step back in alarm. Zuko's eyes blazed with fury, but his voice was low and steady.

"I didn't want to fight you _then_," he growled, "and I _don't_ want to fight you now. If you're that eager for combat, then spar with Aang." He snatched the twin dao hanging from the branch near her head as he finished more calmly, "He needs the practice more than I do."

With that, he brushed the shocked girl aside and started heading back to camp, passing Sokka coming down the path as he did so. The water tribe warrior noticed the scowl on Zuko's face, and turned to watch the troubled fire bender as he went by.

Looking back to his sister, he asked curiously, "What was that all about?"

Katara hung her head guiltily.

* * *

"Is everything alright, Nephew?" asked Iroh when Zuko got back to the camp.

Zuko started re-piling the firewood into a neater stack, despite the fact that it didn't need it, and replied tersely, "Everything's fine."

Of course, as soon as the words left his mouth, he remembered Toph's 'lie detecting' abilities and immediately expected her to call him on it. So he was somewhat surprised when she addressed Aang instead.

"Come on, Twinkle Toes," she said, getting to her feet and walking over to Aang, "Let's get some practice in before dinner."

Aang looked at her quizzically. "But we just got done with-"

"-taking our _break_, and now it's time to work on those advanced moves," she finished smoothly.

Aang continued to stare at her in bewilderment until she jerked her head meaningfully in Zuko's direction.

"Oh!" exclaimed the boy as he finally caught on to her ploy, "right! Um…we'll be back in a little while," he told Iroh cheerfully. And the two 12-year-olds headed off down a side ravine, leaving the fire benders alone in the camp.

"Come have some tea, Zuko, and tell me what is troubling you," Iroh requested gently.

Abandoning his nervous activity with a resigned sign, Zuko went and sat down by his uncle, numbly taking the teacup the old man offered. Staring listlessly at its contents while Iroh poured his own cup, Zuko waited for his mentor to speak.

"So what seems to be the problem?" asked Iroh kindly.

"Nothing," Zuko spat. "Aside from the fact that I can't sleep, can't meditate, we're both wanted for treason, my sister wants me dead, my father doesn't want me at all, and I'm traveling with the people I spent months chasing all over the world" he ranted bitterly, "everything is just _peachy_."

Iroh sighed. His nephew was truly justified in his level of frustration, and the old man knew it. The question was where to start the process of helping the boy work through his extensive dilemma. He gave this some serious consideration for a few moments as he sipped his tea.

"Let's talk about your meditation," he finally suggested.

"Uncle, shouldn't meditating be the _least_ of my worries right now?" snapped Zuko incredulously.

"On the contrary," Iroh began thoughtfully, "I think perhaps if you can solve that, then your other concerns will fall into perspective."

This earned the old fire bender a skeptical glance from his nephew, and seeing it Iroh went on to explain.

"Zuko, the purpose of meditation is not to merely calm the mind, but to _enlighten_ it. If troubling images present themselves, you should not attempt push them away."

Iroh paused as he noticed Zuko's surprised reaction to this statement. Apparently, he had hit the nail right on the head with his suspicions regarding why Zuko couldn't meditate. Emboldened by this confirmation, he continued.

"You need to learn to let those thoughts come. Do not dwell on them, but let them come. They are appearing for a reason, and you need try to understand what they mean."

"But they're…painful," Zuko admitted with difficulty.

"I know there is not much to reflect on in your life that _isn't_ painful," Iroh acknowledged sadly. "But you have the opportunity to move beyond that now," he added fervently, "The Avatar and his friends do not hold your past against you…and you should not hold it against yourself either."

The banished prince looked at the old man with obvious doubt, but said nothing, and only stared back into his teacup as he pondered his uncle's words.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Sokka said as reasonably as he could, "you offered to spar with Zuko, and when he said 'no', you _yelled_ at him."

"I didn't _mean_ to," Katara responded defensively. "It's just…well I can't understand what the difference would be," she finished with a helpless shrug.

"Katara, did it never occur to you that maybe Zuko feels like he's fought with _all_ of us enough for one lifetime?"

"You know," she said irritably, "I would have expected _you_ to be the last person to stick up for Zuko."

Sokka gave her a long hard look as he contemplated what she said. At last, he just shook his head and turned toward the path back to camp, pausing to call disappointedly over his shoulder before he left.

"And I would have expected you to be the _first._"

Katara stared at the empty trail for several minutes before sinking to the ground in shame.


	3. Ch 3 Respite

Aang and Toph walked amiably along the small canyon, the blind earth bender absently kicking a small boulder ahead of her the way any other person might kick a pebble.

"So," began Aang casually, "did you really want to practice some more or…?"

"Nah," Toph replied, hurling the rock forward several yards with a gentle nudge of her toe. "I just figured Iroh might want some time alone with his nephew. Zuko seems to have a lot on his mind lately."

"Yeah," Aang concurred. "And I don't think Katara is helping much," he added unhappily. "She seems so…I don't know…stand-offish when he's around. I think it's starting to get to him. I know it's bothering _me_," he muttered under his breath.

"Aw, she's probably just still moping because Zuko went to the Spirit World with you and she didn't," Toph said indifferently.

"You think so?" he asked doubtfully.

"What else would it be?" she shrugged as she casually kicked the rock again. "She didn't seem to have a problem before that."

"I guess," he admitted. "So if that's the case then, what should I do about it?"

"Nothing," she said simply.

"What do you mean? I have to do _something_."

"No. You don't," Toph stated firmly, coming to a standstill as she approached her rock and pivoting toward him slightly. "Look, just because you're the Avatar doesn't mean it's your job to fix every little thing," she said reasonably then turned back to her stone and gave it another careless kick before moving forward again. "Katara is going to have to get over this…whatever ever it is, and learn to deal with Zuko on her own. In the meantime, the best thing to do is stay out of it."

"But-"

"No 'buts'," she insisted, once again stopping, "This is no different from when I came along. She had trouble adjusting to me too."

At this, Aang grinned and pointed out wryly, "Actually, I think you had a hard time adjusting to _each other_."

"Whatever," said Toph with a dismissive wave as she resumed walking, "the point is, you just have to let them work it out. So long as they aren't at each other's throats, there's nothing to worry about." The boulder shot forward again.

"I suppose you're right," he finally agreed, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

"Of course I'm right," she quipped, "I'm your teacher."

Aang looked at Toph and grinned in spite of himself. But his smile faded as he observed her misty eyes still staring straight ahead, and he remembered that there was no way she could see his expression. Or could she?

"Hey, Toph?" he started shyly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, Aang?"

"Can you…'see' when someone is smiling at you?" he asked awkwardly, "with your earth bending, I mean?"

"No," she answered slowly, giving the rock another kick, "but sometimes…I can _feel_ it."

It took a moment for the significance of this admission to sink in, but when it did, Aang beamed brightly at her. And she proved her statement when she tilted her head in his direction and smirked conspiratorially in return.

* * *

The tension back at the camp was unbearably thick, and a suffocating silence lingered over the group during dinner. Iroh had tried once or twice to start a conversation, saying how delicious the noodles were and how kind it was that the Earth King had ensured such generous provisions, but his attempts received only half-hearted nods and mumbled agreements.

Suddenly, the stillness was broken by an abrupt 'slurping' sound as Aang miscalculated the amount of long, wet strands he had gathered with his chopsticks and had to suck them in quickly before they fell. He blushed slightly at having caused the rude interruption, but then Sokka snickered and produced his own energetic inhalation of food. The two boys looked at each other, oblivious of Katara's annoyed glare, and an impromptu competition was suddenly on.

Grinning and giggling, they began taking turns making the horrendous noise, only to have Toph overshadow their attempts with her own loud contribution to the cacophony. Aang and Sokka both glanced at her in surprise before looking at each other in silent agreement. It was a declaration of war: the two of them against Toph.

As the three went about their rounds, and Toph began losing ground against her two opponents, the game was unexpectedly halted by the sudden entry of the Dragon of the West into the fray. After a brief instant of shock, the four took a moment for realignment, where brows knitted, eyes shifted, and jaws were set. And with that, the battle started in earnest. All four were now desperately trying to outdo each other in the length and volume of their sloppy noodle sucking.

Meanwhile, Katara was quickly becoming livid. Each successive 'slurp' caused her right eye to twitch, and her shoulders steadily tensed up with the rising chorus. She was gripping her stoneware bowl so tightly her knuckles were starting to turn white.

Zuko was certain that at any moment she was going to splinter her chopsticks in the quickly balling fist of her hand. In all honesty, the mealtime mayhem was getting on his nerves as well, but he was pretty sure that Katara would snap before he did. He was right.

After a particularly long and disgusting slurp from Toph, Katara finally slammed her bowl down onto the ground in front of her so forcefully that Zuko was amazed it didn't crack. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she whipped her head around to address the uncouth quartet.

"Is all that slurping _really_ necessary?" she seethed.

Iroh and Aang just stared at her guiltily with noodles hanging from their puckered lips. Sokka blinked twice and then, without taking his eyes off his sister, sucked in the mouthful of noodles dangling down his chin.

"_Sllllluuuurrp!_"

"That's IT!" she screeched as she sprang to her feet, sputtering in indignation. "I _refuse_ to eat with a bunch of…unmannered…uncivilized…_moo-sows_!" And with that, she stormed away from the camp down a side ravine.

The four of them sat quietly for a few heartbeats, three of them looking properly abashed, and then Toph calmly indulged in another hearty slurp. Giggling shamelessly, the boys then shrugged and happily resumed their unsophisticated contest.

Zuko shook his head in revolted disbelief, and when he noticed that Katara's food was still sitting on the ground, he needed no further excuse to leave. Without a word, he reached over, picked up the bowl, and headed after her.

* * *

Katara walked until she could only barely hear the sound of the others sucking down their noodles, muttering and complaining under her breath the entire way. When she felt she was a reasonable distance from them, she stopped and looked down at her hands in bewilderment. In one, she held her chopsticks, but in the other…

"You forgot your food," said Zuko quietly from behind her.

She let out a short breath of annoyance and embarrassment, and glanced over her shoulder. There stood Zuko with a bowl in each hand, holding hers out to her with his eyes cast down almost apologetically. Turning, she begrudgingly took the food from him and sat down on a nearby boulder.

"Thanks," she mumbled, poking at her noodles with her chopsticks. "You didn't have to do that."

"It got me away from the noise," he replied impassively. As a faint slurp echoed down the canyon, he added dryly, "almost."

Zuko waited uneasily for a moment, then turned to go back to the others, but his step faltered a bit when a resounding belch reverberated through the ravine.

"Great," Katara muttered sarcastically, "they've gone from slurping to _burping_."

She looked up from her dinner and noticed the prince's grimace; he obviously was not looking forward to going back to the others with their obnoxious eating habits.

"Um, why don't you have a seat," she offered awkwardly, "it's not _as_ noisy here…and well," she hesitated, stumbling over what to say that wouldn't sound foolish. "I guess I wouldn't mind some company," she finished lamely.

He regarded her suggestion thoughtfully for a moment, looking down the canyon toward the camp, then back at her, trying to determine which was worse: bad manners or uncomfortable silence.

Katara's presence always unsettled him, filling him with a tangle of guilt, shame, and uncertainty. But now, thinking back to their confrontation earlier that day, and remembering his uncle's comment afterward, he wondered if perhaps he had merely been reading more into her recent behavior than was really there.

Wordlessly, he sat down on a fallen log across from the water bender, a chasm far wider and deeper than the one they sat in yawning between them.

* * *

Aang dug through the last of the fruit taken from the Air Temple. They were all trying to decide what they wanted for dessert.

"Okay, we've got two papayas, an apple, and three peaches left," he announced.

"Katara hates papaya," Sokka stated, "so hand me one of those."

"I'll take the other one," offered Iroh, "Zuko doesn't care for them either."

Aang tossed the two papayas up in front of him and shot them over to Iroh and Sokka on a gust of air.

"I'll take the apple!" called Toph, lifting her hand up to receive the fruit from Aang.

He air bent the fruit into her waiting hand, and then he took a peach for himself before settling down on Appa's side.

"We should eat noodles more often," Toph mused around a mouthful of apple. "That was kinda fun."

Iroh chuckled with embarrassment. "I think if I did that again, my nephew might disown me," he admitted.

"Yeah," agreed Sokka sheepishly, "I'm sure I'll get an earful from Katara later." He grinned impishly then added, "But it was worth it."

"Speaking of Zuko and Katara…do you think they're okay over there?" asked Aang, anxiously peering down the ravine, but the canyon twisted around, blocking them from view.

"They're fine," reassured Toph lazily, "just sitting there eating, and probably ignoring each other."

"What are we going to do about those two anyway?" wondered Sokka aloud. Aang glanced over at Toph, whose face remained emotionless, then back to Sokka.

"There's nothing we can do," he said finally, "they just need to work things out for themselves."

* * *

Cricket chirps echoed through the dimly lit ravine, punctuated occasionally by the clink of chopsticks against stoneware. Other than those slight sounds, the canyon was quiet. Even the unruly ruckus coming from the main camp had died down and the sounds of slurping and belching no longer bounced off the steep rocky walls.

Zuko was glad for the lack of noise, but the silence was wearing on Katara. Several times, she had stolen a glance at the young man sitting across from her, opening her mouth to speak and then closing it as she changed her mind. After one such false start, Zuko frowned.

"If you have something to say, just say it," he said calmly, keeping his eyes focused on his bowl.

Her head snapped up in surprise at the realization that he had noticed her aborted attempts at conversation. Daring a look at the banished prince, she caught a brief glimpse of his eyes on her before they flicked back down to his food.

"Oh…well," she stuttered, "I was just…well I wanted," her shoulders sagged at her inability to get the words out of her mouth. Finally, she blurted out, "I'm sorry about what happened earlier, I had no right to say that and…I…" Her voice trailed off in frustration and she glowered at the bowl in her hand.

Zuko stared in mild surprise at her sudden apology, but seeing her obvious discomfort, and suddenly feeling awkward himself, he turned his attention back to his food.

"Forget about it," he murmured politely, "it's not important."

"I know we've never been on the best of terms," she said timidly, "but, that doesn't mean we can't work together and get along. Maybe we can just start over," she suggested with a shrug before beginning to ramble. "I mean, how hard can it be to just put the past behind us and go on from here? I'm willing to try if-"

She stopped short as she noticed he wasn't even looking at her. Instead, he seemed to be peering down the shadowy canyon leading back toward the camp, his eyebrow furrowed in thought.

"Are you even listening to me?" she asked shortly.

"I thought I heard something," he said distractedly.

"I don't hear anything."

"Neither do I," replied Zuko grimly, turning back to her, "In fact, it's _completely_ quiet."

For the first time, Katara noticed the ominous absence of the crickets chirping, and a sense of dread began to settle over her. She looked over at Zuko anxiously as he set his bowl down and rose to his feet in a single fluid motion. Without waiting for her response, he headed off down the ravine. Not wanting to be left behind, she scooped up his bowl, stacked it in hers, and followed.

She almost collided with him when he stopped abruptly just before entering the camp. It was completely empty, not even the fire remained. They exchanged alarmed glances, wandering around the empty campsite in confusion. It was as if the others had never even been there.

"Where are they?" she gasped.

"I don't know," he replied, trying to keep the panic from his voice.

A low rumbling was the only warning they had before being plunged into darkness, and the echo of their abruptly cut off screams was all that remained in the canyon.

_

* * *

_

Commercial break


	4. Ch 4 Alignment

**Author's Note:** wow, I have to admit I'm a bit overwhelmed by the enthusiastic responses I've gotten to this 'episode' so far. It really makes me hope that I can pull it off, considering I've only just figured out what I am doing with it. So please keep the feedback coming, because now I am more nervous than ever! o.0

* * *

Zuko and Katara hurtled into the darkness, tumbling one over the other down a long rocky slope, and finally coming to rest at the bottom in a twisted heap of blue and brown. A lone stoneware bowl clattered belatedly along the ramp behind them, hitting Katara in the head with a loud clang before bouncing off and spinning to a stop.

"…ow…" she whimpered.

"Hey guys!" chirped Aang merrily, "glad you made it!"

The two teens looked up and glared at the energetic young air bender, then began disentangling themselves from one another as they took stock of their surroundings. They were in a large, subterranean cavern, dimly lit by glowing green crystals native to the area. Their entire campsite and all its occupants were there, seemingly transplanted en masse from the canyon above, and Iroh and Sokka were busy putting gear back into the saddlebags.

"Sorry about the rough ride," chimed in Toph, wearing a grin that clearly showed she wasn't the least bit apologetic.

Aang stepped forward, extending both hands to help haul his friends to their feet.

"Guess who we found!" he cried happily, as the other two dusted themselves off.

"Master Katara, Prince Zuko," greeted a figure stepping out from the shadows, "It's good to see you again."

"General How," Zuko acknowledged with a well-mannered nod.

"We didn't realize that not all of you were there when we brought the camp down," How explained lightly, "Master Be Fong offered to get you two."

"Thanks, Toph," remarked Katara dryly, picking a stray noodle from her sleeve.

"Don't mention it," the blind girl said with an indifferent wave of her hand and Aang was the only one who noticed the amused glance Zuko sent in Toph's direction.

"Now, if you will finish gathering up your things and follow me, please," the general instructed, "I'll show you where you can rest for the night."

* * *

Appa rumbled nervously as they walked along the crystal-lit tunnels, and Aang stayed near the bison's head, whispering calming words of encouragement. The general led the way, and the others walked behind the Avatar, staying close to Appa's reassuring bulk. 

Finally, the corridor opened up into a huge cavern with a wide ledge around the perimeter of a shallow depression that filled the area. Below them, the companions could see a massive throng of people, mostly women and children, all sleeping in huddled family groups.

"Why are there so many people here?" asked Aang curiously, as they made their way around the room.

"Those are the refugees from Omashu," How answered calmly, "when word spread that the Earth King was sending a force to retake their city, they came in droves to…help. I suppose it's been good for morale among the troops," he added reluctantly, "it shows them first hand who their efforts are for."

"So, these people aren't here to fight?" reasoned Sokka.

"No," How replied quietly, "they're here…because they want to go _home_."

Zuko shuffled to a halt at this last statement, and looked pensively down at the sleeping people below as the others passed him. Seemingly misplaced among the clusters of families, a lone mother gently rocked a fussy child, and glanced up wearily at the Avatar's group as they walked by. Noticing Zuko watching absently, the woman offered a tired smile, then resumed crooning softly to calm the baby she held.

A bitter empathy settled over Zuko. All these people had been cast from their homes, just like him. And _his_ nation, his _father_, was the one responsible. Not for the first time, he wondered what the point of the war was, or if there had ever been one at all.

"Nephew," called Iroh gently, breaking him from his thoughts.

The prince blinked and turned toward his uncle, who was standing in the open archway of yet another corridor that the rest of the group had just gone through. Seeing he was about to be left behind, Zuko started walking again to catch up. As he neared the side-tunnel, he took one last look at the refugees, and then followed after the others.

* * *

The general had apparently thought of everything when selecting the 'quarters' for the Avatar's group. A broad fissure along one wall of the cavern opened out to the bottom of a deep ravine, with just enough room to give an anxious Appa a welcome spot under the night sky while remaining completely protected. In the main room, alcoves carved into the walls were outfitted with comfortable mattresses, ready and waiting for the weary travelers. They thanked How as he left, and then wasted no further time getting settled in for the night. 

Even though he was incredibly tired, Aang found that he couldn't sleep, and after tossing and turning for quite some time, the air bender finally wandered outside to lie down along Appa's flank. He hadn't been there long with he heard footsteps from within and sat back up.

"Shouldn't you should be sleeping?" asked Zuko indifferently as he came outside.

"Shouldn't _you_?" replied Aang mischievously.

Zuko didn't have a response, except to cross his arms and throw the boy a small sardonic smirk, to which Aang grinned impishly back.

"Just don't tell Katara," Aang requested confidentially, "she gets upset when I stay up too late."

"I won't tell her if you won't say anything to Uncle Iroh," Zuko replied casually with a wry smile.

"It's a deal," said Aang brightly, his face breaking into a wide grin. "Have a seat," he offered as he leaned back and tucked his hands behind his head, "Appa's comfy."

The Avatar kept his eyes fixed on the stars high above as Zuko stretched out on Appa's side, his fingers interlaced and resting lightly on his stomach. The two lay there in silence for several long minutes just enjoying the still night air. It was the first time in days that Zuko had felt truly relaxed, and fatigue was starting to get the better of him.

"How did it start?" Aang asked sleepily.

"What?" Zuko's voice was distant.

"The war," Aang clarified with a slight yawn, "why did it start?"

Roused only slightly from near rest by this unexpected inquiry, Zuko glanced at the Avatar then back to the sky, pondering the answer.

"Power," he replied at last.

"Oh," said Aang, sounding tiredly disappointed.

"Were you expecting a good reason?" asked Zuko with cynical humor. The Avatar turned his head and regarded the banished prince with wonder.

"You don't believe in this war," Aang stated with a sense of dawning comprehension.

"I never did," the prince admitted drowsily.

"Really?"

"Really," replied Zuko, closing his eyes. "Does that surprise you?"

"No," Aang answered, rolling his head back toward the sky and letting his eyelids droop in a long lazy blink, "Now that I think about it, I guess it doesn't."

As his breathing evened out, it occurred to Aang that he wanted to ask something else, but before he could assemble his thoughts, slumber overtook both boys, and the two were soon fast asleep beneath the rising moon.

* * *

The early morning sun cast long shadows over the mountains, lingering over the deep ravine where Appa and Aang snored blissfully. Zuko was already awake, perched on a nearby boulder and taking advantage of the relative peace and quiet to make another attempt at meditation. 

Following his uncle's advice, the banished prince let his mind examine the disturbing series of images as they flashed by. It was a painful process, but this time he didn't fight it. One by one, he suffered through the memories that recently plagued him.

The news of his cousin's death: _"…__Lu Ten did not survive the battle."_

His mother's abrupt disappearance: _"…__Everything I've done, I've done to protect you."_

Finding Uncle Iroh singing softly to himself as he cried in the palace gardens one night after returning home from the war: _"…Little soldier boy comes marching home."_

Scar tissue covering the leg of a young girl: _"…they've hurt me too."_

The despairing faces of a family upon learning that their son may not be coming home, and the scorn of a little boy when discovering Zuko's identity: _"I hate you!"_

Zuko hung his head unconsciously at this last memory, and his chest tightened with sorrow. Remembering his uncle's counsel not to dwell on his meditative revelations, he focused instead on his breathing, willing himself to continue. But what came next was completely unexpected.

As though he were nothing but a ghost on the breeze, he drifted through an air temple similar to the one they had visited several days before. It was filled with men and young boys happily going about their daily lives; meditating, studying, practicing, playing pranks on one another.

A sense of tranquility permeated the air where bison and lemurs flew, and Zuko was bathed in the serenity of the moment. Suddenly, the scene shifted and the temple became engulfed in flames. The red sky above was filled with the terrified cries of children, and the sounds of battle.

Zuko's face twisted in anguish, and he struggled against the urge to push the horrifying vision away. Just as it became unbearable, the image faded into darkness, and he found himself standing in the same temple, now covered in layers of cobwebs, dust, and weeds. Only a mournful wind blowing through the empty halls once so full of life remained. An indescribable sense of loss overwhelmed the prince, and he swallowed back the lump that formed in his throat.

Chimes of laughter broke Zuko from his meditation, and he opened his eyes to see Aang fending off his small winged pet.

"Okay, okay, Momo," he giggled as the creature tugged repeatedly at his mouth, "I'm awake! I'm up!"

"Must be time for breakfast," the prince remarked, trying to sound less disturbed than he felt. He swiped the heel of his palm across his good eye, removing the unruly tear that had formed there and hoping the air bender would not notice.

"Yeah," laughed Aang "the only thing more reliable than a rooster-pig to wake you up in the morning is a hungry lemur."

Zuko watched thoughtfully as Aang fished through a nearby bag and dug out a peach for Momo. Taking it greedily, the lemur sailed up to the top of Appa's head to enjoy his meal, leaving Aang and the prince to themselves. Feeling Zuko's gaze on him, Aang turned and saw the bewildered expression on the fire bender's face.

"You okay?" he asked innocently.

"How do you do it?" inquired Zuko with a touch of awe in his voice. Aang was baffled by the question, and cocked his head to one side.

"How do I do what?"

Zuko looked away, suddenly intimidated by his own curiosity, and searched for the words to explain what he wanted to know.

"After everything that you've been through," he began awkwardly, "everything you've…lost." He paused, besieged by the whirlwind of emotions spawned from the images he'd seen while meditating. At last, he stuttered out, "How can you stay so…cheerful?"

For a rare moment, Aang felt the weight of the century he'd been alive as though he had experienced each and every day of it. And when he answered, his sober voice carried the wisdom of a thousand lifetimes.

"When I found out what had happened while I was trapped in the iceberg, I spent a lot time feeling guilty for not being there when my people needed me: when the _world_ needed me," he said quietly. "And even now, no matter what I do, things will never be the same as they once were."

He looked Zuko in the eyes as he continued confidently, "I may not be able to change the past, but I _can_ shape the future. And _that_ thought gives me _hope_."

Hearing these words, and seeing the passion that burned in Aang's ageless eyes, Zuko finally understood what his uncle meant all those months ago in the cave before going their separate ways.

_In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself._


	5. Ch 5 Steel

Everyone was awake by the time someone came for the Avatar's group, and they walked along the now bustling underground encampment, impressed by the efficiency of the operation. At last, they arrived in a large cavern peppered with rough stone tables and benches, where refugees and soldiers alike were enjoying a morning meal. The room was alive with hushed conversation as word spread among the people that the Avatar had arrived the night before.

Sokka peered fretfully around the room, searching for the telltale dark green dress of a certain Kyoshi warrior. His heart was starting to sink as his eyes skimmed over the crowd to no avail, but lifted again when he finally spotted a flurry of activity at the far edge of the cave.

There she was, standing with her back to him, overseeing a group of men brining in stacks of crates marked with the Fire Nation insignia. With a wicked little grin, he snuck up behind her on his tiptoes and then quickly brought his hands around her and clamped them down over her eyes.

"Guess who," he sang in what he hoped was a seductive voice.

He smirked as her hands came up and rested over his own, but before he had any idea what was going on, he found himself flying forward over her head to land on the ground with a painful thud.

"Hey!" he shrieked, "is that any way to-"

His objection was stopped short as he stared upside down into the unexpectedly brown eyes of a Kyoshi warrior glaring down at him.

"You're not Suki," he stated matter-of-factly.

"No, she's not," said a familiar but irritated voice from somewhere outside his range of vision, "what is going _on_ here?"

"This _boy_ was getting fresh with me!" answered the brown-eyed girl suspiciously.

Suki's painted face popped into view above the water tribe warrior, still lying prone on his back.

"Sokka!" she gasped in surprise. He beamed up at her as she dismissed the other girl with a wave of one hand, and reached down with the other to help him up.

"Ya know," he began casually as he brushed himself off, "you'd be a lot easier to pick out of a crowd if there weren't five other girls dressed just like you."

Her only response was to smile and wrap him in a tight hug, which he gleefully returned. They held each other happily for a moment before a voice interrupted.

"Oh, get a room!" grumbled Toph loudly as she sauntered by the pair.

The two broke from their embrace and grinned at each other sheepishly, the color rising to Suki's cheeks clearly visible even through her make-up.

"So…" she shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant, "when did you get here? We weren't expecting you until later today."

"Last night," he answered, still gazing at her dreamily. He was so glad to see her safe and sound.

A movement to one side got Suki's attention, and she turned away from Sokka to address a nearby soldier as the crate he was carrying banged to the ground.

"Be careful with those!" she snapped urgently, "do you want to blow the whole place up?"

"What _is_ all this stuff?" asked Sokka as the rest of his companions came over to stand beside them to regard the stacks of crates with equal perplexity.

"We intercepted a caravan of Fire Nation explosives en route to Omashu," she answered grimly.

"Explosives?" wondered Zuko aloud.

He walked to a nearby crate and lifted the lid. Sokka sidled up beside him and peeked into the box, pulling up a dangerously nasty looking rocket-like device.

"What are they going to do with these?" he asked in alarm, "destroy the city?"

"They aren't explosives," replied the prince with a hint of confusion. Looking over the box, he announced thoughtfully, "they're…fireworks."

Sokka cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at the object he held. "Why am I not surprised that fireworks from the Fire Nation look like weapons of mass destruction?"

By now, the entire group was poking through the containers.

"Nephew, look!" crowed Iroh happily. Spinning around, he revealed a pair of bouquets, one in each hand, made up of thin wands topped by colorful, brightly sputtering sparks.

"Sparklers!" A huge cheesy grin was plastered across Iroh's face, and it broke only long enough for the old man to puff a tiny breath of flame to ignite a lone, unlit sparkler before returning.

"Hey!" chimed in Aang from another nearby crate, "check these out!" and he pulled forth a stick wrapped in a long strip of vivid red and gold parchment. With a flick of his wrist, the roll of paper shot out and tapped Momo on the tail, causing the lemur to squeak indignantly.

"I haven't played with one of these in _ages_!" continued Aang as he repeatedly sent out and retracted the vibrant streamer while Momo chased it about.

Katara rummaged through another crate, and with a look of surprise, held up a beautifully painted doll.

"What's with the dolls?" she asked, tenderly stroking the face and admiring the craftsmanship.

Toph sniffed tentatively at a handful of small, flamboyantly wrapped packages.

"Are these…candies?"

Confused, Suki wandered over to another box and sifted through the contents.

"We thought all the boxes were the same as that one," she murmured, looking back to the fireworks. "What is all this stuff for?"

"Summer Solstice," answered Zuko distantly, seemingly lost in memories as he stared bewilderedly at the crate full of games and puzzles.

"The solstice?" asked Katara dubiously.

"It's the Fire Nation's biggest holiday!" explained Aang excitedly, "I celebrated it a couple times with my friend Kuzon. It's great! They throw a huge party all day long, and give away free toys and candy to all the kids, and when the sun sets, they shoot off _hundreds_ of fireworks!"

"Wait a minute," interjected Sokka seriously, as the gears of his brain started whirring, "crates of toys…candy…fireworks…"

He glanced at Zuko's worried scowl and everything started clicking into place. Aang's bright grin started to fade as he followed Sokka's train of thought.

"If they're shipping toys and fireworks to Omashu for Solstice…" the Avatar realized out loud, "then that means-"

"There are civilians in the city," Sokka continued ominously, "families…"

"And _children_," finished Zuko gravely, gazing down at the multihued wooden top in his hand.

A deathly silence fell over the group as they began to comprehend the magnitude of the situation. Aang looked around at the others with open apprehension and announced resolutely.

"We need to find General How."

* * *

Suki led the group to General How's makeshift office; a largish room carved into a passageway through earth bending, with a raised slab of rock for a desk and a crudely fashioned stone chair. He barely glanced up from the report he was reading when they walked in.

"Ah, there you are," he said absently, "I was just about to send for you."

As he set down the page in his hand, a small avalanche of toys was dumped on the desk in front of him. His eyes widened in surprise.

"What is all this?" he asked as he looked up to see Sokka still holding the upturned bag.

"That's what we found in those crates your men intercepted this morning," the warrior answered. How picked up a doll and turned it over with an expression of confusion.

"I'm not sure I understand…," he said slowly, still examining the doll.

"These toys are for the solstice celebration next week," Aang explained soberly, "they're gifts for the children living in Omashu."

How glanced up, looking wholly uncomfortable, but as he opened his mouth to speak, another voice interrupted from the doorway.

"And what do children in Omashu have to do with anything?"

Everyone turned in surprise just as General Fong stepped into the room.

"Oh great," Sokka muttered darkly as he crossed his arms, "_him_ again."

Iroh leaned in toward the boy and whispered, "Who's that?"

"Trouble," he replied, but left it at that as Fong came into earshot.

"The Fire Nation has already colonized the city," Aang said firmly, glaring coldly at the crazy general who had once tried to force him into the Avatar state to be used as a weapon. "If we attack Omashu now, civilian families will be put in danger."

"Innocent lives never stopped the Fire Nation from attacking _our_ homes and villages," Fong said condescendingly, "why should we have any concern for _their_ citizens?"

Aang and the others bristled visibly at this comment, but before anyone could throw back a nasty retort, How stood up.

"Thank you, General, that will be all," he intervened hastily. He then addressed the room in a tone that brooked no argument, "Now, if everyone will excuse us, I'd like to have a word with the Avatar…alone."

* * *

Once the others were gone, How lifted his fists and a slab of stone rose up in the doorway, shutting off the room from the outside to afford the two some privacy. With a tired frown, he sat back down at his desk and gazed at the toys still laying there as he collected his thought.

"Please believe that I do understand your concerns," he began diplomatically, "but General Fong makes a valid point."

Seeing Aang about to say something, the general held up a hand in a silent plea to be heard out.

"That's not to say that I agree with his opinion," he clarified calmly, "But you must realize that my duty is to the rightful citizens of Omashu. There are over five hundred refugees here waiting to get their city back. Do you honestly expect me to call off the attack and tell them they'll have to return to Ba Sing Se simply because you don't want to risk harming the people who have taken over their homes?"

Aang hung his head as he realized the logic in what How said. The general was right, and he knew it. But the Avatar wasn't prepared to give in so easily.

"There has to be another way," he said stubbornly.

"If you have some other option, I'll be happy to hear it," How offered earnestly, "but otherwise, the strike must go on as planned. We don't have enough supplies to see us through a delay, and if we are to have any hopes at all of distracting Ozai's army so that you can infiltrate the Fire Nation, then we need access to Omashu's resources."

"When do you plan on attacking?" asked Aang, his voice tinged with resignation.

"At sunset," How replied briskly, "with any luck we can take them by surprise and gain some slight advantage over their fire benders."

Hearing this, Aang merely nodded, and then turned to leave. Just as he took a stance to reopen the door, How called out.

"I _am _sorry."

Aang glanced back over his shoulder at the general, his expression grim but otherwise unreadable. Without a word, he unsealed the door and walked out.

* * *

The others stood in the hallway, waiting anxiously for Aang to come out. Sokka had told Toph, Iroh, and Zuko about their previous encounter with Fong, so now the entire group had an equal and well-deserved dislike for the man. When the wall gave way to reveal the Avatar, they all gathered around him expectantly.

"Well?" asked Sokka.

"The Earth Kingdom is launching its attack on the city tonight, at sunset," he told them bluntly.

"But…what about the civilians?" stammered Katara desperately. Aang leveled a hard stare at her.

"What about the Omashu refugees that came all this way hoping to get their homes back?" he replied, obviously not happy about the situation either.

At this, everyone looked around at each other dismally. There seemed to be no way out of their current predicament.

"Well this just _stinks_," groused Toph angrily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's putting it mildly," Sokka concurred, taking the same pose as the blind earth bender.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Zuko quietly.

Iroh raised an eyebrow at his nephew's use of the word 'we', but said nothing. Aang took a deep breath, and regarded his friends with a determined gaze.

"We're going to find a better way. And to do that, I need to talk to King Bumi."


	6. Ch 6 Gauntlet

The rhino-pulled cart ambled slowly along the winding stone bridge leading to Omashu. On either side of it walked a Kyoshi warrior, each bound and held fast by a Fire Nation soldier.

Iroh sat comfortably in the wagon seat wearing his new 'borrowed' civilian garb. It really had been pure dumb luck that the original cart driver had been about the same size, if several years younger. He glanced back at the 'guards' and 'prisoners' to see how they were faring on the long walk.

Zuko looked perfectly at ease in the heavy armor, but Sokka was muttering and complaining…as usual.

"How does anyone _fight_ in this stuff?" he griped.

The banished prince glanced across the wagon at the other teen with a small smirk but said nothing, while the girl in Kyoshi regalia posing as his captive grinned mischievously.

"Would you rather wear the Kyoshi dress?" teased Katara.

"At least _that _was comfortable!" he retorted, shifting his shoulders under the weight of his disguise.

"_You're_ uncomfortable?!" Toph's muffled voice called indignantly from inside one of the crate, "try being stuffed inside a box!"

"Yeah, Sokka" added Aang, popping the lid off his container just enough to peek out from underneath it, "you've got nothing to complain about compared to this. My whole_ butt_ is numb…"

"Actually," said Suki coyly, glancing at her 'captor', "I think the armor makes you look imposing."

"Yeah?" drawled Sokka conceitedly, puffing out his chest in an attempt to appear manlier.

Suki threw a triumphant look over to Katara, who was rolling her eyes.

"I knew that would work," said the Kyoshi warrior smugly to the girl on the other side of the cart, sending them both into giggles.

"All right," Sokka groused, deflated and annoyed at having fallen so easily into Suki's ploy, "that's enough laughing. You're supposed to be prisoners."

Stifling their amusement, they turned their attention back to the road in front of them, and as they did, a strong breeze lifted the curtain of smog looming over Omashu. A glint in the sunlight caught Sokka's eye, and when he looked up, he couldn't repress the dread filled breath that escaped his lips.

"Whoa…it looks like they finished redecorating the city," he said forebodingly.

Following his stare, the whole company came to a halt and they looked for the first time upon the face of their enemy. Glaring down at them from Omashu's peak, the massive visage of Fire Lord Ozai loomed on the horizon like an ill omen, leaving none of them unaffected. But for Zuko, who had not seen his father's face in over three years, the impression was far more powerful...and terrible.

Unbidden, his mind played out in agonizing detail that fateful moment in the Agni Kai arena. Once more, he found himself staring up into his father's pitiless eyes, and the condemning words echoed hollowly in Zuko's ears. _You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher._ His vision filled with the horrifying memory of searing flames racing toward him.

"Zuko!"

The prince gasped as he was jolted back to the present, and he wrenched his gaze away from the hateful metal effigy to refocus on Katara's alarmed and bewildered face. He closed his eyes painfully, and tried to take a calming breath as a violent shudder raced down his spine.

"Are you alright?" asked Katara worriedly, cautiously taking her bound hands off his shoulder. She'd had to shake him to get his attention, and he still looked like he was about to faint.

Noticing that the others were also regarding him with open concern, he forced himself to nod.

"I'll be fine," he replied in a strained voice.

No one seemed convinced, but the group began moving forward again anyway.

"You boys should put your faceplates on," advised Iroh gently, still feeling anxious about his nephew's distress, "we'll be nearing the gate soon."

Zuko and Sokka complied, and not another word was spoken the rest of the way to the city.

* * *

A guard halted them as they approached the gates.

"What's in the cart?" he asked.

"Toys and fireworks for the festival," Iroh answered cheerfully.

"Ah, we've been expecting you," the man replied, and then looking to the Kyoshi warriors, he inquired, "Who are they?"

"We were ambushed on our way here," Iroh explained smoothly, "most of them got away, but my escorts managed to take these two."

The sentry looked at Zuko and Sokka with an approving nod. "Excellent work."

He turned to another nearby guard.

"Show these men to the prisons. We'll detain the captives there until the governor decides what to do with them." Then turning back to Iroh he added, "You can take this stuff to the warehouse on the upper tier where your payment is waiting for you."

"Thank you," said Iroh with a gracious bow from where he sat.

He snapped the reigns lightly against the rhino's back and headed into the city, following behind the other four being escorted to the prisons. Only Toph heard the muted whisper from the crate beside her.

"So far, so good."

* * *

The first sound that greeted their ears as the warden lead them down into the detention block was a gravely screech that only barely resembled a song.

"Oh lovely," grumbled the man sarcastically, "he's singing again."

"Singing?" asked Sokka before he could stop himself, "sounds more like torture."

The warden laughed gruffly, "The only ones being tortured down here are _us_. But if you think that's bad, you should hear his _jokes_."

"So is that…?" inquired the disguised water tribe warrior tentatively as they were led in the opposite direction of the sound.

"King Bumi?" finished the other man, "Yeah. The old coot is completely cracked in the head."

As they walked through the maze of corridors, both boys made it a point to be carefully observant: Sokka memorizing the path they took, and Zuko taking note of the placement and number of sentries. Much to his surprise, and relief, there weren't many. At last, when they could no longer hear Bumi's ear-grating voice, the warden opened a cell door and stepped to one side.

"Once those two are chained up," he instructed from the hallway, "report to the barracks here on the upper tier for further orders."

The two disguised boys nodded once in compliance, and the other man turned around and headed back down the corridor.

As Zuko adjusted the chains that attached Katara's shackles to the wall, he glanced over his shoulder to ensure the warden was truly gone, and then leaned down toward her ear.

"Can you reach your water?" he asked quietly.

She didn't answer, but merely pulled a small stream from her pouch so Zuko could see that he had left enough slack in the chains for her to bend.

"Remember, that's a last resort," Sokka said lowly as he finished fastening Suki's binds, his hands lingering over hers. "We don't want to give anything away if we don't have to."

"Got it," Katara whispered, returning the water to the pouch hidden beneath the Kyoshi armor.

Her brother stepped back and took a deep breath, looking from one girl to the other, obviously apprehensive about leaving them in a prison.

"We'll be back for you as soon as we can," he murmured.

The two boys then left the cell, and the last thing Katara saw as the door swung shut was a pair of glimmering golden eyes peering uneasily from behind the skull-like faceplate. She and Suki simultaneously let out a long breath as the room fell dark, and the hollow clang of the bolt sliding into place reverberated down the hall like a death knell.

* * *

Back at the warehouse, Iroh, Aang, and Toph were hidden behind a stack of boxes, talking quietly while waiting for Sokka and Zuko. Their conversation was cut short as two Fire Nation soldiers suddenly loomed over them. Toph merely sat there, but Iroh and Aang were on their feet in an instant, ready to take action.

"It's just us!" said Sokka, holding his arms up non-threateningly, while Zuko quickly removed his helmet.

"Thanks for telling us someone was coming, Toph," grumbled Aang sarcastically as he and Iroh dropped out of their stances. She only shrugged, completely unconcerned.

"_I _knew it was them."

Aang didn't have a response to that, so instead he turned to Sokka as the warrior doffed his helm and everyone huddled back down behind the crates.

"What now?" the Avatar asked.

Sokka seemed to consider the options before answering. Thus far, everything had gone way more smoothly than he had expected, and he only hoped that their luck would hold. At last, he gave his response.

"General How agreed to hold off the attack until we return, so as soon as it's dark, we'll sneak into the prisons, get Bumi and the girls, and then head back to the base camp," he explained confidently. "In the meantime," he continued, "we lay low…and wait."

* * *

As the sun sank below the mountains, the lower tier of the city still teemed with life. Parents called their reluctant children home for dinner, and teens as yet too young to join the war effort flirted with one another while they strolled along the dusky streets. Laughter rang from the teahouses and restaurants as shopkeepers and barrow merchants began putting away their wares for the night.

High above, in the almost deserted upper tier, the Avatar and his companions made their way to the prisons. Sokka and Zuko had ditched their cumbersome Fire Nation uniforms, and the group moved as silently as the shadows they traversed. Peering from a darkened alley, they were thankful to see that only two guards stood post outside the open archway.

"Go on around," whispered Iroh, motioning with his hands to indicate the direction, "I'll distract the guards."

The four did as he suggested, and a few moments later, the old fire bender shuffled out of the alley and into the lamplight where the guards could see him.

"You there!" called one, stepping forward, "What are you doing here? This area is off limits to civilians after dark."

"Ah!" exclaimed Iroh with enthusiastic relief, "I thought I might never find anyone to help me." He ambled toward them and then stopped as they approached him warily, carrying out his ruse as he did so. "It's my first time in the city, you see and," he feigned embarrassment, "I got lost leaving the warehouses. I don't suppose you kind boys would mind pointing an old man in the direction of the nearest teahouse?"

He smiled disarmingly at them and they relaxed, moving closer to provide their assistance. Neither of them noticed Iroh's crafty grin as four figures slipped into the prisons behind them.

* * *

Toph tapped the metal walls with the backs of her hands experimentally and smiled. The metal was thick, but poorly refined, and the tiny shards of earth were densely dispersed enough that bending it would not prove to be a problem.

As they reached the open doorway of the warden's office, she got her chance to test just how much she could do. Laying her hand on the ground to get a feel for the area, she gave a deceivingly small push, sending a ripple of creaking metal down the hall ahead of them.

Hearing the strange sound, the warden got up to investigate. He'd no sooner popped his head through the doorway, peering into the darkness in the direction of the noise, when Zuko slammed the man's helmeted forehead into the metal doorjamb, knocking him out cold. Sokka reached down and grabbed the keys from the unconscious man's belt, and the four continued on their way down the corridor.

As they neared the cell where Suki and Katara had been taken to earlier and Sokka moved to open the door, Toph piped up.

"Are you sure this is the right cell?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Sokka snapped.

"This is where we brought them," Zuko confirmed.

"Seriously, Toph," Sokka added as he fumbled with the lock. "You think I'd leave my sister and gir-, er friend in a prison, and not remember how to get back to them?! Why would you even ask that?" he finished, and swung the door open as Toph answered.

"Because there's no one in there."

And sure enough, when they looked into the room, the cell was vacant. As Sokka began to question his own sense of memory and direction, Zuko stepped inside and knelt down near the wall, summoning a small flame in his hand to see.

"Sokka," the prince whispered urgently, and the warrior came over to take a look. His face paled as he saw what Zuko had noticed.

"What is it?" asked Aang, trying to peek over their shoulders.

"Water," answered Zuko grimly.

Aang's eyes widened in horror as he realized what the water on the floor meant. The girls _had_ been there. But now…

"They're gone."

_

* * *

_

Commercial break

**_Author's note:_** Time to plug a couple more great stories I've been enjoying!

**The Swiftly Tilting Balance **by Steamboat Ghost: Speculative "Book 4: Air" fan-fic. Paced like an episode with a unique plot and believable character interactions.

**Parts of a Whole** by MacFie: Excellent post-war story about international conspiracies, long lost relatives, old friends who've changed, and blossoming romance.

You can find these and several other wonderful fan-fics in the "Favorite Stories" list accessible from my bio page. Read, enjoy, and don't forget to leave these authors a well-deserved review!


	7. Ch 7 Riposte

**Author's Note:** A new image has been added to my concept art page at www. sasartstudios. com/ samples. html (_remove all spaces in the url_) for your viewing pleasure. This page can also be accessed from my bio. Enjoy!

* * *

At first, the only thing anyone could do was to stare at the water in shock. Aang and Sokka looked at each other; worry and fear etched on their faces. But as Zuko stood up and brushed past them, their concerned expressions changed to alarm. 

The prince's lips were set in a furiously determined scowl as he strode purposefully back the way they had come. He didn't even bother to see if the others were following, and after a moment or two of confused surprise, they all hurried after him.

By the time they caught up with Zuko, he was already kneeling by the unconscious warden, shaking him roughly.

"What are you doing?" hissed Sokka urgently.

"Getting answers," Zuko replied coldly without looking up. As the man groaned groggily and began to stir, Zuko grabbed him by the back of the neck and lifted his head only slightly from the ground.

"Where are the Kyoshi warriors?" he demanded in a low growl.

"Wha-, who?"" asked the man blearily.

"The two girls brought in earlier today," Zuko clarified icily, "where were they taken?"

It struck Sokka that he had heard that passionate and relentless tone of voice from the prince before, only now it seemed even more intense than it had when Sokka was on the receiving end. He found this quite strange, but didn't have time to dwell on it, for the warden was answering.

"The governor," the man replied in a mixture of fear and dizziness, "for questioning."

"And where can I find him?" pressed the prince.

"Middle tier," the warden's voice was growing weak as he struggled to maintain awareness, "house…overlooks the city…"

Zuko unceremoniously dropped the man's head, letting him slip back into oblivion with a thud. He stood up and was about to head toward the exit, when Aang stopped him.

"Wait, what about Bumi?"

Zuko turned and stared at the Avatar in bewilderment, apparently having forgotten the reason they'd snuck into the city in the first place.

"Aang's right," Sokka interjected to no one in particular, "we're not going to have another chance to get him out of here." Turning to Zuko, he switched into 'plan mode'. "You said earlier you have a good idea of where they're keeping Bumi, so you and Aang go get King Crackpot and Toph and I will find the girls."

The prince hesitated, and seemed about to protest, but instead merely hardened his jaw and gave a curt nod before turning around and heading back into the prisons. Aang and Sokka both looked at Zuko curiously then exchanged questioning glances before parting ways.

Sokka stared after the fire bender, puzzled by his behavior. If he didn't know better, he'd say that Zuko was even more worried about the girls than he was. The water tribe boy was about to ponder this development, but Toph's voice broke him from his reverie.

"What are we waiting for?" she whispered harshly, "Let's go!"

Shaking his head, and with one last look over his shoulder at the retreating prince, Sokka headed after his blind friend.

* * *

"You know, I never imagined the two of us would be sneaking around a prison again," Aang commented idly as they made their way carefully down the empty corridors. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he added quietly, "I never did thank you for that." 

Zuko stopped short at this remark as he realized that Aang was referring to his liberation by the Blue Spirit. Bowing his head, he let out short breath of mixed irritation and disbelief.

"I didn't _rescue_ you, Aang," he explained bitterly, keeping his eyes on the floor. "I was stealing you from Zhao so I could take you back to the Fire Nation myself. I wanted to go home and I've have done _anything_ to accomplish that."

Aang said nothing for moment, only narrowed his eyes at the prince shrewdly. "I don't believe you," he announced at last.

"_What_?" Zuko whirled around to look at him incredulously.

"You just said you'd have done 'anything'," Aang asserted innocently, staring Zuko calmly in the eyes, then quirked his head to one side as he finished, "but you _didn't_."

The prince was irately dumbfounded, and it took all his willpower to keep his voice to a whisper.

"Of all people, how can _you _say that? I chased you all over the world, terrorized villages, fought and captured your _friends_, I…I nearly got us _both killed_ trying to drag you through a blizzard, because of me you almost died in Ba Sing Se!" He took several shallow breaths, suddenly at a loss for words.

Unperturbed by the prince's tirade, Aang only regarded his former enemy quietly, once again feeling that ageless sense of wisdom from earlier.

"Why did you free Appa?" the boy asked softly.

Zuko's stared at the Avatar, stunned, and then looked away as doubt and confusion set in.

"He's a fuzzy ten ton monster," he answered petulantly and without conviction "what was I supposed to do with him?"

"You could have left him imprisoned, or hurt him. In fact, you could have hurt a lot of people. But you never did," Aang reasoned soberly. He took a breath as he let his words sink in and waited for Zuko to meet his gaze again before continuing.

"You said last night that you never believed in this war…and you never believed in capturing me either…did you?"

Seconds spanned the breadth of eternity as the two boys contemplated one another. The flicker of an epiphany flashed in Zuko's eyes, and Aang's spirit rose as he saw it, but the moment was shattered when the prince turned away.

"We need to keep to moving," he said emotionlessly, and started walking down the hallway.

Aang only let out a defeated sigh of disappointment before following.

* * *

Iroh waited patiently in the dark alley, eyeing the guards for the first sign of trouble so he could jump in and help the others get out if need be. The two fire benders were talking quietly when a winged object came whirring out of the dark prison entrance. 

"What the-?!"

They peered into the night sky, trying to figure out what it was that had come flying out the door.

"A bird maybe?" asked on uncertainly.

"Or a squirrel-bat," mused the other.

Looking at each other, they shrugged dismissively, leaving them completely blind to the return flight of the boomerang that clanged against the side of one man's helmet just as the ground beneath the other suddenly shot several feet up. Before the first sentry could make a woozy recovery, the second came crashing down on top him, rendering both unconscious.

Sokka stepped out of the shadowy doorway and picked up his boomerang before Iroh could even finish processing what had happened. The first thing the old fire bender noticed as he hurried to the prison entrance was that there were only two people.

"Where is everyone else?" he asked uneasily.

"We had to split up," Sokka explained quickly, "Aang and Zuko are getting Bumi, and we need to find the governor's house. Katara and Suki were taken there."

"Good thing I asked for directions," Iroh said, staring bemusedly at the comatose guards, "I know just where to find the place."

"How is that?" asked Sokka, skeptically as the three of them headed down the street.

"They told me," The old man said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder as he led the way. He then glanced at the boy as he confided seriously, "it's near a teashop."

* * *

The fallen guards groaned as Zuko took the cuffs from their belts and fastened them around their wrists. Meanwhile, Aang stepped over them carefully and peered into the dark cell. 

"Bumi?" he called in hushed tones.

"Aang?" piped up the old man as his face emerged from the shadows. The shackles binding his arms and legs rattled and clanked as his head appeared in the barred window on the door. "Oh how nice of you to come visit me!"

"We're going to get you out of there," Aang whispered as he methodically tested each key in the lock on the door.

"Aw," whined Bumi, "but I was just about to take a little nap."

The Avatar's shoulders slumped. Remembering the king's refusal to be set free the last time, Aang's face twisted into a dejected grimace.

"Please tell me you aren't still 'listening and waiting'," he pleaded.

"We-ell," Bumi drawled mischievously, "that all depends."

"On?" Aang queried anxiously, his heart sinking.

The old king turned to regard Zuko with suspicion and the banished prince shifted uncomfortably, unable to meet the hard gaze.

"Who's your friend, Aang?" asked Bumi craftily.

The two boys exchanged uneasy glances as Aang hesitated on whether or not to reveal the fire bender's true identity. Seeing the Avatar's uncertainty and sensing the reason behind it, Zuko answered the question himself.

"I'm Prince Zuko," he said quietly, offering a respectful bow to the King of Omashu.

"Fire Lord Ozai's son," stated Bumi knowingly, to which Zuko merely nodded. Bumi narrowed his eyes mistrustfully then asked, "And why are you here?"

"I came to help," answered Zuko earnestly, sounding almost desperate for the old man to believe him. But this response seemed only to annoy Bumi, for he frowned.

"I didn't ask about what you came here to _do_, young man," he scolded impatiently, "What I want to know is _why_."

Zuko was taken aback by the question, not sure what the difference was. He looked to Aang, expecting him to be equally confused, but the Avatar only smiled serenely and enigmatically at him, as if he already knew the answer to Bumi's question, and was merely waiting for the prince to figure it out as well.

In the space of a breath, Zuko suddenly recalled the things he'd seen that morning while meditating, the conversations he'd had with Aang recently, and the overwhelming terror of seeing his father's likeness towering over the city.

The puzzled look on Zuko's face soon gave way to dawning comprehension as his uncle's question from days ago echoed in his mind. _'Are you aiding and protecting the Avatar because it is your destiny? Or is it because, in your heart, you know it is right?'_ For the first time since it was asked, Zuko suddenly realized that he'd known the answer all along. He finally looked King Bumi in the eye as he responded confidently.

"Because this is _right_."

Bumi's harsh expression broke into a toothy and deviously satisfied grin.

"That's _exactly_ what I've been waiting to hear."

* * *

Toph pressed her hand to the ground outside the governor's house, searching for the familiar forms of Suki and Katara. Iroh stood watch to make sure no one entered the garden courtyard, while Sokka waited anxiously for the blind earth bender to find the captured girls. 

"They're in the main hall," she said at last, "and they're both fine."

"How far in?" asked Sokka, sounding thoroughly relieved.

"If we go in the window to the left, there are three empty rooms and a guarded hallway to get through."

"How many guards?"

"Six."

Sokka frowned. With six guards in the way, an alarm was sure to be sounded before they reached the girls.

"Maybe we should wait for the others…" he considered aloud.

"Under different circumstances, that might be a good idea," replied Toph, her voice taking on an abrupt sense of urgency, "but I don't think we have time for that now."

"Are they doing something to Suki and Katara?!" panicked the warrior, getting ready to rush to the window.

"No," she replied gravely, pressing her hand more firmly against the ground and scowling angrily, "but General How didn't keep his word."

"What are you talking about?" asked Sokka skeptically.

"The Earth Kingdom troops tunneling up from under the city," she announced as she stood up. "They're launching the attack…_right now_."


	8. Ch 8 Citadels

**_IMPORTANT NOTE_**: This chapter has been revised to include a previously deleted scene. It was originaly cut for lenght, but the story just didn't have the impact I wanted without it. So I trimmed it down a bit and put it back in. Sorry for any confusion.

* * *

The governor of New Ozai scowled at the two Kyoshi warriors standing before him.

"I grow weary of your vague answers," he said impatiently. "I do not wish to use force, but if you do not give me the information I want, then you'll leave me no other choice."

Suki and Katara glanced at each other fretfully. They'd been at this interrogation for hours now, dancing around questions and hoping the man would eventually give up and send them back to their cell before the others got there. Katara had frozen a hasty message to the wall, but she was certain that it had long since melted. As they contemplated just telling the truth and praying he believed them, a frightful commotion broke out in the city below, stealing everyone's attention.

"What is all that racket?" the governor growled as he rose to his feet and strode past his captives to the balcony. As his eyes settled on the confusion below, he spun around and addressed a nearby guard.

"Sound the alarm! The city is under attack!" he commanded.

Both girls gasped in horror. Completely forgetting that they were prisoners in enemy territory, they rushed to the balcony to stand by the governor. In the streets below was pure chaos. Citizens ran screaming for cover as hordes of earth benders poured out of over a dozen large crevices in the main square.

"Oh no," breathed Katara. "What are they _doing_ here?"

The governor turned on her with a furious glare.

"You're _spies_!" he accused, "Sent here to distract us so the Earth Kingdom could launch an attack!"

"No! That's not true," she insisted desperately. "This isn't supposed to be happening! We…" she faltered, staring in dismay at the battle below as her voice dropped to a hopeless whisper, "we were trying to _prevent_ this!"

The governor stepped back in surprise at the candor in her pained response, unsure what to think. He was about to insist on an explanation, but as he opened his mouth, another voice interrupted.

"Katara!" cried a water tribe boy, running into the room.

"Sokka!" she called back, meeting him halfway to wrap him in a hug.

New Ozai's governor looked on the scene in flabbergasted indignation, furious that an intruder had gotten into his home.

"Gu-Guards!" he stuttered.

"Don't bother," deadpanned Sokka with a dismissive wave as he moved toward the balcony, "They're already busy."

"I thought they were going to let us find another way," said Katara desolately.

"I guess How changed his mind," grumbled Sokka, glaring into the bedlam below.

"It's not How," interjected Suki grimly, then pointing into the fray added, "look."

Sokka peered into the dark streets lit by only fire blasts and flickering streetlamps. There in the center of the invasion, barking orders as he marched about was a figure Sokka knew all too well.

"_Fong_," the tribesman spat. "That _stupid_ warmonger!" he shrieked, throwing his fists angrily in the air. "He'll destroy the whole city and everyone in it before he's satisfied!"

"Would someone please tell me what is going on here?!" the governor demanded with all the authority he could muster.

Suddenly remembering that the Fire Nation official was standing right there listening to their conversation, Sokka turned and attempted to enlighten him.

"Well let's see, a battle crazy earth bender was set on razing the place and slaughtering all the citizens living here," he expounded animatedly, "so _we_ snuck in trying to find some other way to take back the city that didn't involve killing everyone. Nothing was supposed to happen until we got back, but unfortunately, General Bloodlust down there decided to ignore the plan. Does that answer your question?"

The governor stared in disbelief at the boy's disgruntled rant, and then narrowed his eyes distrustfully.

"Lies," he hissed. "All lies!" Just as he was about to call for his guards again, he was once again interrupted by yet another newcomer.

"The boy speaks the truth, Yaozu."

Spinning around at the sound of the familiar voice, the governor gasped as a rotund old man and a small girl stepped from the shadows.

"General Iroh?" he breathed in surprise. His face went through a series of emotions; first shock, then confusion, before settling at last on disdain.

"And why should I trust the words of a traitor and some water tribe brat?"

"Because they're trying to stop a massacre," declared Aang as he walked into the room, flanked by Bumi and Zuko.

Yaozu gawked at the air bender tattoos, his mouth opening in closing like a beached fish. When half a dozen Fire Nation soldiers came bursting in from the opposite hallway, the governor finally recovered enough to point at Aang and shout.

"The Avatar! Seize him!"

Before the soldiers could take a single step forward, Zuko darted from one side of Aang to the other, coming between the Avatar and the approaching guards. A torrent of flames erupted from his fist, cutting a wide arc at their feet and flaring up in a fiery wall for a moment, halting their advance.

"_Don't_," warned the prince menacingly, maintaining his stance while Toph fell into position alongside him.

The guards looked apprehensively from the governor to the youths before them, feeling eerily cowed by the blind girl's emotionless eyes and the prince's cold fury. Meanwhile, Governor Yaozu gulped a bit as he realized he had long since lost all control over the situation. Turning to the Avatar, he eyed him uncertainly.

"Then you intend to end this butchery?"

"I can't," Aang replied quietly, "but _you_ can."

"Are you suggesting I _surrender_?" asked Yaozu angrily, and then in a worried undertone, he whispered as his hand rose to his neck, "Ozai will have my head."

"If you want to save innocent lives, then the only thing you _can_ do is surrender," Bumi insisted solemnly.

"_Please_," Aang added earnestly, "this has to _stop_."

Yaozu looked around the room, noticing that at some point his wife had come in and was now standing there, horror-stricken, as she clutched their son to her chest. The sounds of battle below had intensified, intermingled with the cries of terrified women and children. He turned to the soldiers still being held at bay by Zuko and Toph, and took a deep breath.

"Send out the order to surrender," he commanded soberly.

"But, Sir-" one of them tried to object.

"Do it!" Yaozu roared.

With hasty nods of compliance, the men hurried away, and the governor bowed low before Aang.

"Name your terms, Avatar," he intoned, "we surrender."

* * *

Hours later, the streets of Omashu were quiet, and the full moon cast an ethereal glow over the mountain fortress. How had arrived just as the Fire Nation laid down their arms, and he was furious at Fong's act of insubordination. The mutinous general was now in chains and How glared at the man through the window of the prison cell door.

"You'll stay here until arrangements can be made to transfer you to Ba Sing Se to face your court martial," he said sternly.

"You should be thanking me!" Fong growled madly, "I took back this city!"

"You disobeyed a direct order!" snapped How, "And endangered the lives of the Avatar and his companions."

"He has incredible power," Fong insisted, almost manically, "He could have ended the war months ago! He could have taken this city by himself! He won't listen to reason; he's just an idealistic child."

"Yes, a _child_, Fong," How retorted furiously, "and the only hope for peace this world has. You've put him in danger not once, but twice now. And I can assure you, the Earth King will not be pleased when he hears of your recklessness."

Without another word, How walked away, leaving the other man to his crazed ranting.

"The Fire Nation will never submit!" Fong screamed, "They have to be destroyed!" Chains rattled as a hollow pounding reverberated down the metal hallway. "Let me out of here!"

General How only shook his head, marveling sadly at how war could change a person so terribly.

* * *

Katara wandered out of the governor's residence to find Appa snoring contentedly in the courtyard with Zuko sitting on top of the bison's back, gazing thoughtfully at the giant metal statue of the Fire Lord.

She climbed up Appa's tail and sat down, trying to think of something to say. As the silence stretched out, Katara fidgeted with Appa's fur. There was something she wanted to say, but now that she had the opportunity, she didn't quite know where to begin. So she settled on small talk, hoping she could coax Zuko into a conversation that would lead her to what she really wanted to discuss.

"Do you think the governor will take Bumi up on his offer to stay in Omashu?" she asked casually.

"He'd be a fool not to," Zuko replied.

"What do you mean?"

The prince seemed to consider his answer carefully, his eyes never leaving the cold metal visage glaring down at them.

"My father doesn't tolerate failure," he at last said quietly, "and he is not forgiving."

Suddenly feeling foolish at having asked such a question, and realizing this probably was not going to get her anywhere, Katara decided simply to say what was really on her mind, and hope she didn't make a mess of it.

"Zuko…" she began hesitantly, not daring to look at him as she spoke, "I…I want to apologize for the way I've been acting lately. I haven't really been giving you much of a chance and…I'm sorry."

"After everything I've done, you have nothing to apologize for," he answered solemnly.

"Maybe," she admitted, fiddling timorously with Appa's fur, "but even so, it doesn't excuse my behavior. Sokka and I have sort of been Aang's self-appointed guardians ever since we found him and…well…I guess I forget sometimes that we aren't the only ones who want to protect him." She chewed her lip thoughtfully for a moment before continuing timidly, "You're not the person I expected you to be."

"I'm not the person _I_ expected me to be," he replied sincerely.

Uncertain what to make of that statement and figuring it was best not to ask, Katara instead followed the prince's unwavering gaze up to the statue of Fire Lord Ozai. The metal gleamed harshly in the moonlight, and shrouded the eyes in bottomless shadows. A shiver coursed down her spine at the sight.

"I suppose I don't have to imagine and wonder about the face of the enemy anymore," she said, failing at her attempt to sound nonchalant. She looked away from that cold unfeeling glare as she added, "But I'm glad that face is no longer yours."

Zuko continued to stare up into his father's likeness as he drew in a long breath and then let it out slowly before responding with unguarded honesty.

"So am I."

And high above, the sightless eyes of Ozai glared down on the world, unmoved and untouched except by the moonlight.

* * *

Half a world away, the real Fire Lord sat on his throne, firelight flickering over his finely sculpted features. He glared down at the two withered and ancient women kneeling before him.

"You have summoned the Shuāng Yán…," rasped one.

"And we have come," added the other, her voice identical to her sister's.

"What counsel do you seek?" they asked in unison.

"My daughter has failed to bring her brother to me," he announced with composed displeasure, "and he has now allied himself with the Avatar."

"Then he has chosen to accept his destiny…" warned the first woman.

"…Your sway over him is lost," added the other wryly.

"_The disgraced shall cast down the second son_…," recited the first sister.

"…_And Sozin's legacy will be undone_," the second finished.

"If Prince Zuko returns to the Fire Nation…," continued the first.

"…He will fulfill this prophecy," they intoned together.

Ozai glowered pensively as he considered the crones' prediction, his dark eyes glittering malevolently in the firelight. But as he came to his conclusion on how to proceed, his voice was devoid of all emotion.

"Not if he is dead."

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note:** Well, this 'episode' didn't turn out at all the way I had expected it to. I had originally envisioned a huge climatic battle to retake the city, but as I got into the story, I found that I just wasn't up to the task. And unfortunately, the next 'episode' will be even less action packed I'm afraid. So for those who where hoping for an exciting fight scene, I offer my deepest apologies. I'll try to do better on Chapter 8 (since seven is already pretty much dedicated to humor and romance).


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